Old School

If you can't tell by our Victorian-style bathroom and 1909 Hudson automobile, Chris and I have a penchant for antiques. That with the patina of age, the markings of a well-used, well-loved item. Well, his is more of an obsession than a penchant, but that's a whole other story.

I love the uniqueness of each treasure we unearth. The story that it tells, the sense of history, of being tied to something more lasting and enduring than the latest mass merchant bargain buy. I love the feeling of honoring tradition, of carrying on bygone ways and practices, of remembering where one came from, and of, in a broad Adam-and-Eve-we-all-came-from-one-place sense, family.

Since we met, we have enjoyed antique shopping, thrift store bargain hunting, swap-meet browsing, and in the more modern ways of tracking down those wonderful heirlooms, ebaying and craigslisting... We have found some really neat pieces - an old typewriter for me (the fold-up type with carrying case), a melodian for our living room (with beautiful rosewood octagon legs and ivory keys), a shoe button hook, a Gibson girl blouse, spats, boater hats, a church bench (made by Chris' great-great-great grandfather), an old slot machine, a beautiful brass cash register, too-many-to-count phonographs, and all sorts of odds and ends.

Now, with a baby in tow, we are able to blend our love of antiques and our daughter into a new hobby. Finding items that we will enjoy sharing with her has already become a fun pasttime. Her nursery, while not yet set up, has been long dreamed about, and instead of some trendy, frilly, dime-a-dozen standard matching set, we've been accumulating hand-me-downs and family heirlooms to decorate it with. We have a lovely "Over the Rainbow" wall hanging my mother was given while pregnant with me (which hung in my nursery), some beautiful quilts made by Chris's Nanny, outfits we wore, and toys we had, as well as some new quilts that are handmade in the old style. Now that we're almost moved in, I've been allowing myself to look for items for her room, and last weekend was delighted to find this gorgeous little school desk and chair. It is just so quiant and perfectly suited for a little girl who I know will one day love playing school. It even has an old inkwell hole in it. This is a really unique desk - most of the desks of this era had the seats attached to the front of the desk, so to have a complete set, you'd need 1 1/2 of them. This one has a little chair that sits by itself, and is just such a cute little design, I couldn't pass it up. With a little cleaning and touching up, this will be great in the corner of her room, where I'm sure her teddy bears will sit studiously until she is old enough to play there herself.

Sitting up like she's got good sense

Last Saturday, while I was visiting my parents' house, I had Hayden propped in my lap as I was checking email. Of course she waited until everyone else left, but then she decided to sit up on her own! At 3 1/2 months! Granted, she was leaning forward onto her legs somewhat, but she still was able to balance herself for a minute or so, without any help or propping from me. I grabbed my phone and did my best to capture the moment.

I tell you what, this baby is ready for bigger things! She keeps pushing the envelope of what she can do, and amazes me daily with her progress.


On a pit stop during our Florida trip this week, she wanted to get out of the carseat and stretch a bit, so we sat her in the backseat, which she just loved...



I think I'm going to have to go ahead and babyproof the new house - I'm afraid she'll be mobile by the time we move in!

Under the Weather

I am under the weather, both literally and figuratively. We are expected to get upwards of 5 inches of rain in the Atlanta area today and tomorrow, and I feel like I've been hit by a Mack truck.

We made the fateful decision to stop in Ocala, Florida on the way home yesterday and indulge in some good ol' barbeque (I won't name names, but it used to be one of my favorite places). As we were leaving, my stomach was gurgling somewhat, which I often take as a sign of a good meal. It's like my stomach is telling me just how fine it thought that last dish was.

Well, not this time. I managed to make it home before all heck broke loose, but just barely. Imagine coming home, late at night, husband out of town, porch light bulb is blown, baby in the car seat on the verge of waking up, doggies howling to be let out for a walk, utterly exhausted from a non-stop trip to Florida and back, when suddenly, your stomach yells out, "Now! Get 'er, fellas!!!" and decides to pounce at your weakest moment, wrap you up in a gunny sack and throw you over the back of its horse as it gallops off, pistols cracking... That pretty much describes what was the start of a very long 12 hour fight between my innards and whatever I ate that started the revolt. I think it was the smoked turkey, because even seeing that written here starts the chanting of the rebels in my gut. Ugh.

I think I've made it to the other side, but just barely. Add that adventure to the rain outside, and all I want to do is curl up in bed with my little munchkin and sleep until the sun comes back out to play.

Road Trip, Part 2

The conclusion of our Amelia Island trip, finally!

When we got to the show, it was a beautiful day; not too hot, not too cold, just right! We really lucked out again this year with the weather, which was such a blessing with Hayden in tow!

As always, there were some fabulous cars there, which Chris could tell you about in much more detail than I, although I'm sure he told me much more than I'll be able to relay accurately here. Shame on me. Of course, as you can see, I was a little more distracted this year...

We (I) toted Hayden around in her Sleepy Wrap, which is my favorite way to carry her. It's one of hers, too...

We (Chris) also took tons of photos of the gorgeous cars.


This is a Winton, and is one Chris was really taken with. It's a lovely restoration, and it has a lot of the curvy body elements that our Thomas Flyer has. It also has white tires, which Chris loves, and has many of the great brass era features - large front headlights, no windshield (well, really a roll-down cloth windshield), right hand drive, stirrup door handles, and long, thin fender lines...
This one, I can tell you, is a Mercer Raceabout. I scoped it out from the hill Hayden and I were lounging on as Chris indulged in his brass obsession a bit longer... Oh, and it's red. With black beads. The windshield is called a 'monicle' (not even sure I've spelled that right). The gas tank is that barrel behind the seats.
See? I know some car stuff. What year is that, you ask? How many were made? oooooohhhh, lookie here at this cute baby!!

Isn't she really a fancy model? Now her, I can really tell you about. Only one made, she's a 2008 vintage, but just barely. She wasn't manufactured until December of that year. Blue eyes, dark brown hair, chubby little arms and legs, perfect for nibbling...

I'll have to leave the car blogging to Chris, I suppose. But first, one final picture of his three loves together. Brass, Bonnie and Baby Hayden. Not in that order, but just barely...

Lazy Sunday Morning

This is how a Sunday morning is spent these days when we're all too lazy to get up and do all the many things on our to-do lists...

No longer is it curled up in bed with fresh coffee and the paper (actually, it never really was that, neither of us drinks coffee, and we don't get the newspaper. It just seems like the idyllic American Sunday morning, and I thought it sounded good...)

Now it's with Hayden curled up on our chests or tucked in the nook of daddy's arm...

"reading" picture books and blowing spit bubbles...

and chatting with our little missy.

I tell ya, it doesn't get any better than this...

Congratulations and Good Luck to Martha's Finest!

Martha's Finest - Tim Tarpley, Baritone; Rufus Massey (aka -Dad, aka- Poppie), Bass; Danny Price, Lead; Tony Boyd, Tenor

My dad and his barbershop quartet, "Martha's Finest" (so named as they are all associated with Berry College, founded by Martha Berry), just placed in the top 10 quartets at their FIRST competition ever - the Dixie District Quartet and Chorus Competition, Winston-Salem, NC with the Big Chicken Chorus!! GO guys! Wish them luck as they perform in the finals tonight in Winston Salem!

Also, shameless promo for the group (hey, it's my dad!)- check out their site here at http://www.marthasfinest.com/, to see upcoming shows and events, hear clips of their performances, or to book them for your next event!

I'm so proud of them all - these guys are really amazing and talented, and this is just such a cool group! They truly are "Martha's Finest"!!!

Spring Equinox

Yesterday was the first day of spring, which my sister joyfully reminded me with this picture message. She told me at dinner last night that she'd spent the day 'decorating' the kitchen where she worked with dozens of these babies...



Spring in our house was always celebrated with eggs, standing on their tippy-tops, as many as we could get to stand on end, and in as many various places as we could dream up.

What I don't think I ever realized until yesterday is that this ritual was largely confined to those within my immediate family. As I showed my sister's photo around the office and gleefully exclaimed, "It's Spring! Egg Day!! ", I was surprised at the blank looks and questioning/concerned glances between my coworkers. Granted, I was nearly dancing about their cubes from excitement, but still, it's EGG day! That's worth at least a skip or two! Besides, I know it couldn't have been just us; there were news reports growing up, showing fellow Romans (GA, not Italy) gathering on the steps of the clock tower to balance eggs.

For those of you unfamiliar with the egg tradition, it is said that you can balance eggs on their ends on the Spring Equinox, as the gravitational pulls on the earth are balanced this day, and allow the eggs to stand on end. Truth be told, with enough patience, you could get one to stand on end almost any day of the year, but it is, for some reason, much easier on the Spring Equinox.

I remember my dad, ever the scientist, gathering us to the kitchen with at least a dozen eggs, and we would spend the time before dinner studiously working to balance these eggs on their ends - you were a real pro if you could get one to stand on it's small top - laughing and applauding one another on our efforts. We would take pictures of those that were especially impressive, like the one dad balanced on the top of a cutting board handle, and save those to show off.

I also remember a trick we learned - not sure who's idea it was - to balance one on a white napkin. That was super-easy to do, especially with a small pile of salt in the center of the napkin to 'cup' the egg.

Thanks, Grace, for bringing back such fun memories. Now, off to buy some eggs...

Cha-cha-cha-changes

Everyone says that motherhood will change you, and 3 months and some odd days into it, I have to admit they're right. What they don't tell you is how it changes you. So, for all the moms to be out there, here is my list this short time into the journey. I'm sure it will continue to grow.

1. Your life will never be your own again.

Before becoming a mom, I had mental lists I would run through that went something like this, "pick up the drycleaning, figure out dinner, get Chris' laundry into the dryer, stop by the store for milk and dog food, call to make a dentist appointment..." Now, my list sounds more like this, "Run a load of whites, get the bottles cleaned for tomorrow, figure out what I'm going to wear to work, figure out what Hayden's going to wear to school. Do we have any clean diapers? Find out if we have clean diapers. If not, run diapers after whites. Oh, shoot. Store. Have to get to more diaper cream, and see if I can find one of those little pacifier-holder thingys. I wonder if it's going to be cold tomorrow? Maybe she shouldn't wear the little dress, maybe we need some pants. Do I have any clean pants for her to wear? Ok, whites, diapers, clothes..."

2. Your brain quits working. QUITS. Goes on strike. Nada. Zip. Gone.

Before becoming a mother, I'd sometimes walk into a room and forget what I'd come in there for. Now, I step into a kitchen, see a bottle on the counter that I'd meant to pick up an hour ago, and then realize I don't know why I'm in the kitchen now. Did I come in there for something, or was I on my way to the living room? Was I going to the living room for something? Was the bottle what I'd come after? Oh, shoot! The bottle! I was going to do something with that... What was it? Oh, yeah! I was going to put it in the diaper bag. Speaking of, where is the diaper bag? Is that why I was going to the living room? Living room? Was I actually going to the living room, or was it the bedroom? Or is that where I came from?
And on, and on... by the time I get through that thought process, Hayden's crying, the bottle never gets moved, the diaper bag never found, and an hour later I'm in the same spot having the same conversation with myself!

3. [Note to Dad, and anyone with a weak stomach, skip this one...] [Seriously, skip it.]
Vomit and poop (at least that of your baby) cease to faze you.

Unless you're a mother, and have been there yourself, you cannot imagine what happens inside a baby's pants when they refuse to eek out even the tiniest fart for 3 days, much less a poop of any kind, and then decide to let loose. Of course, this will happen at the most inopportune time... let's say, at dinner in a public restaurant. And, just for future reference, there is not a diaper known to man that can accomodate a 3-day poop. Before, the sight of poop at the dinner table may have sent you gagging into a bush outside. As a mom though, you scoop up the baby, whisk them off the the bathroom for a diaper change/clothing swap/sink bath, and sit right back down to your steaming bowl of chili as you balance the baby on your lap and calmly clean the remains of the day from the carseat with the other hand. Never bat an eye...

4. You will take multitasking to a whole new level.

I still remember the amazement in my friend Katie's voice when I told her that I folded and stuffed diaper while Hayden nursed. That? That, my friend, is nothing! My multitasking skills soared to a whole new level when Hayden arrived. Just my list of things I can do while nursing is pretty impressive. Shower? Piece of cake! Sweeping the floor? No problem. Shopping for appliances? I can do that AND talk to my mom on the phone while nursing! I don't know if it's just motherhood that does this, or adding motherhood to my full time job AND finishing a house that has so finely honed this ability to juggle multiple tasks at once, but darnit, I'm good.



There begins my list... I'm sure I'll have more to add. If I can remember them long enough to post. If I can, you can bet I'll be doing at least a couple more things whilst I type!

And she said, "Let there be tops"

And behold, there were tops, and she saw that it was good.

Lookie what I found when I went to the house at lunch today! Yippie!



The granite is a Brazilian rock, called Giallo Ornamental, and although Chris swore he'd only want dark tops if we did granite, we are both so happy with this color!


Master Bath vanity going in...

I'm lovin' it!

Road Trip

This weekend we took Hayden for her first trip to Ameila Island, the continuation of one of our favorite family traditions. Chris and I have gone every year to the Concours D'elegance, an annual car show held on the fairways of the Ritz Carlton. Last year, this picture of us was taken posing in the Thomas Flyer that won the 1908 New York to Paris Race. Normally, however, we are just attendees to the Concours, and not participants. It is one of Chris's dreams to have a car worthy to show at this event, and I can't wait until we do. In the meantime, it was still a very big deal for Hayden as this was truly her first experience with her daddy's addiction...er, obsession...um, hobby.

When we told Hayden we were going to Amelia, she was so happy! It was our first trip out of state as a family, and we promised to have lots of eating of good food, visiting of good friends and even some sing-a-longs!



She started warming up her voice while we were packing, singing us a few tunes she's been working on at daycare. You may know them - "oooohhhhaaaahhhh -EEEEEEhhhhhaaaa", and "ddddaaaaaaaHEEEeeeeee-aaaaahhhhhooooo". She kept us entertained with these for quite a while. The kid's got some range!




She also helped us pick out our clothes - "You're not wearing that, are you, Mom?"
(By the way, if your 3-month old makes this face when you're trying on an outfit, you can bet others will, too...)



As we got ready, we entertained her with tales of where all we'd go, and what we'd do. You can almost see the sugarplums dancing, can't you?



And like a herd of turtles, we were finally ready to hit the road. We got snapped, buckled, tucked and locked in the car, and did a final verification to ensure we had all our necessities - Sunny sunshine rattle? check. Dangly dragonfly? check. Clangy caterpiller? check. Shoulder-strap doggies? check. Pooh Bear paci? check. Mama's milk? CHECK.



Before long, we were settled in and on our way. Hayden promptly fell asleep, a choice she elected to excercise for most of the ride, thankfully!

Our first stop - always - is at the Crab Shack at Tybee Island. We LOVE that place. It's a total hole, but has some of the best low country boil, and we dream about it for months before we go.
It doesn't matter - rain, shine or snow, we go to the Crab Shack if we're anywhere near Savannah! Hayden just insisted on posing with the giant Alligator, so of course we indulged her.

Hayden's become an old pro at traveling, so she wasn't impressed by our fancy hotel digs... She decided to relax for a bit, and try on her new shades -we were in the Sunshine State, after all!

Then, she decided to work off some of that big lunch with some calisthenics. First some arm work and tummy time...

...followed by some jelly rolls...

... then some leg lifts...

After all that fun, we were completely exhausted and decided to crash and catch some zzz's before the big show on Sunday...

Stay posted for the exciting conclusion to our trip and more fun pictures from Hayden's first car event!

Giving me pause...

I just read this post, written by my friend Jenni about her new son Tilden. It gave me goose bumps to read it because I'd felt that about my daughter, but hadn't yet wrapped my mind around it enough to put it into words. Jenni does so beautifully.


Oh, that our children could always remain so innocent and pure and accepting! I look into Hayden's eyes and her delight and excitement at seeing me overwhelms her whole body. She wriggles and grins and gurgles with joy at being near me. All she knows now is the good in me - I hold her close, keep her warm, feed her and love her. She doesn't yet know that her mother is human and broken and sinful. It truly makes me want to be a better woman, to earn her love.

I think that's why God sends us babies - to be reminders of Him and His love for us. No matter what we do, or how badly we fail or fall short, He's always there with open arms, ready to welcome us back, seeing straight through to the good in us. To the God in us.

How, in the presence of a child, can you not believe in God? To know love like that, so pure and unadulterated. There is no theory or science or equation that can account for that feeling. That must be God.

The countdown is on!

We have officially locked in a mortgage rate, which means the clock is ticking. We have to close by April 9 to keep our rate, and I've assured my builder and architect that I intend to close on time!!! Of course, it's hard to believe that it's real yet, which makes it difficult to get motivated packing all those boxes I know are waiting at the rental...

Monday should be countertops and fireplace surround (YAY!) and Tuesday, the rest of the kitchen cabinetry (double YAY!). I just can't wait to see it all finished! Sooooo close!

In the meantime, it's fun to see how much closer we are. Here are the latest pictures.

Our front steps, in progress. They're a native flagstone, and add a great touch to the front porch.

Our fireplace surround - black slate. The rest of the trimwork should go up next week.

The great room, with Hayden's favorite feature - the fan!

The entryway and stairs, view from the great room.

The dining room, view from the great room (and you can see a little of the kitchen peeking at you on the left).

Chris's favorite room - the Victorian powder room (also known as our guest bath/Hayden's bathroom). The toilet has a mahogany seat that has yet to be installed, as someone doesn't want anyone else 'doing the honors' in that room first! We'll not name names... You can see the marble floors a little in here. That's my favorite part of the room, although I will probably fill most of it up with rugs, to make sure Hayden and I don't slip and fall coming through here.

Our bedroom. Doesn't it just make you want to curl up in a great knit sweatshirt with a steaming mug of soup and look out the window at the rain? I can't even describe how happy this room makes me everytime I go in it. "Soothing" is the word that comes to mind, and I just instantly want to nap when I'm in here! LOVE it!

The master bathroom - our shower. I love this for so many reasons. I got the rain head I wanted, and the removable showerhead for cleaning. The seat is wonderful, and it's so spacious! This is the tub side of the wall, here. See how the shower seat becomes the tub surround? Nifty little detail our architect thought up, there... The best part about this bathroom though, is that was all made with our amazing bargain tile - $.27 a square foot, baby! I bought this stuff almost 2 years ago when I saw it on sale outside our Home Depot, and didn't even give Chris a chance to look at it. I just called him and told him I had our tile. For that price, he wasn't getting a choice! What he never told me was that he HATED that tile. Couldn't envision how or where we'd use it that it wouldn't be hideous. Enter the world's slowest (but probably best) tile guy, a few fancy trim pieces I picked out, and a napkin sketch of what I wanted, and VOILA! Suddenly it looks like Southern Living in our bathroom, at a bargain basement investment!

And, this, next to my bedroom and kitchen (oh! and my closet), is probably one of my favorite rooms of the house... my screened porch. At my mom and dad's house, we're always out on the back porch. It's almost never too cold or hot to enjoy it, and I just love being out near nature, without nature being too near to me (if you've ever spent a summer in Georgia, you know what I'm talking about, and our cute little pond out front will be mosquito heaven in a few months!). This one is huge, with central access to the rest of the house, and I can just see Hayden playing out here in no time...

So, here's hoping I have some pictures of the final product in the next few weeks to show you! Keep your fingers crossed!